Wind-driven power device



March 3, 1931. l C, H. SPENCER 1,794,930

WIND DRIVEN POWER DEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOXNEY.

March 3, 1931. c. H. SPENCER 1,794,930

WIND DRIVEN POWER DEVICE Filed Sept. 19, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. 40 UMR/ ES H. SPENCER 7B Liao www 77 ATTORNEY. [so

Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES H. SPENCER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA WIND-DRIVEN POWER DEVICE Application led September 19, 1928. Serial No. 306,815.

This invention relates to improvements in wind driven devices.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved wind driven power developing device particularly adapted for manufacture in large sizes for driving electric generators, pumps, compressors, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described including wind vanes so arranged and mounted that the wind strikes the faces of the vanes only when the vanes are in a driving position.

A further object of the invention is to provide automatic means for releasing the vanes so that they will be ineffective to drive the device.

Other objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

' Fig. 1 is an elevation of my invention showing it adapted to drive a plurality of generators. Y

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device showing the vanes adapted to drive the device.

Fig. 3 isa view similar to Fig. 2 on a smaller scale showing the vanes released.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of my` device and Fig. 5 is a view showing the control governor in elevation and the electrical hookeup in diagram.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have indicated my improved device generally at 10. As shown this device comprises a central standard 12 secured to a base 13 and adapted to Vbe supported adjacent the top by a plurality of guy wires 14 which may be anchored and braced in any desired manner.

A wheel 15 surrounds the standard 12 adjacent the bottom and a wheel 16 surrounds the standard adjacent the top thereof. The

. wheel 15 includes a hub 17 connected to a .45. rim 18 by a plurality of radially extending spokes 19. The hub 17 is shown as adapted to be supported by an anti-friction thrust bearing indicated at 20 and a plurality of radial anti-friction bearings indicated at 21.

The wheel 16 includes a hub 22 connected toa rim 23 by a plurality of radially extending spokes 24. The hub 22 is adapted to revolve around the standard 12 on an antifriction radial bearing indicated at 24 and the wheel 16 is shown as suspended by a framework 25 from a member 26 which is supported by an anti-friction thrust bearing indicated at 27, and an anti-friction radial bearing indicated at 28.

The wheels 15 and 16 are preferably connected by a plurality of struts as indicated at 29. Between 4the wheels 15 and 16 I provide a plurality of vanes 30. Each vane preferably includes a plurality of separate blades 31 pivoted at their outer ends to the wheels 15 and 16 as indicated at 32.

For retaining each of the blades in an operative working position I provide a stop 33 at the top and bottom of each blade and adjacent to their inner edges. The stops 33 are pivoted to the spokes as indicated at 34 and each includes an arm` 35. The arms 35 of the lower stops are slackly connected' by a rod 36 and the arms 35 of the upper stops are slackly connected to a rod 37 as indicated at 38. The lower rod 36 includes solenoid cores 39 and 39 which are adapted to operate in solenoids 40 and 41 respectively. The inner end of the rod 36 is slackly connected as indicated at 42 to one arm of a bell crank 43 mounted on a shaft 44 and the inner end of the rod 37 is slackly connected as indicated at 45 to one arm of a bell crank 46 which is pivoted as at 47.

The other arms of the bell cranks 43 and 46 are connected by a rod 48. On the shaft 44 I provide a lever 49 having one end of a spring 50 secured to its free end and the opposite end of the spring is anchored to the spokes on the vertical center line of the shaft 44.

Thus the spring 50 retains the lever 49 on which ever side of the center line it is moved.

In operation the free ends of the blades abut the stops 33 and the wind exerts its force against the blades on one side of the device and rotates the device. As the inner edges of the blades come in line with the wind, the wind swings the blades on their pivots 32 so that the pivot edge of the blades is in line with the wind and no force is exerted on the faces of the blades on the side of the device traveling against :the :Wind as 4clearly ishcwn in F ig. .2. ilhu's lzit .Willbe seen lthat ithe bilades traveling towards the wind on the inoperative side of the device do not oder any resistance.

As the device revolves the Linoperative 'blades automatically reset themselvesnagainst .the stops 33 as they pass from the inoperative side of the device to the operative side.

My improved device may be employed iorfdeveloping @power for any desired p'osebut therein I Shave shown .and described it=as adapted rto Vrt'urnis'h powerfor drivinga pluralitysof electric igeneratorsf. Aszshown, I provide .a gear `.56 en fthe hub 17 which meshes with -a `pinion geai` 57 on a :shaft ;58. The shait :58 is :adapted to drive aline .shaft 5,9through1the rnediumofa :bevel .geariGOnand .bevel gears (S1-and puldeys 62 lon :the -line shaft are edaprtedito drive pulleys 63 on the genera- ?tors :58 Y,through the .medium .of belts |64.

y For ,operating the ssolenoids to release 'the .blades 3f1 I provilidfe an automatic :control device indicated generally .at :65. This :device includesa vgovernor .66 operatively connected tto .the .Line shaft 59 :by gears 67 fand Stfa-nd yincludes a `contact bar (i9 which is adapted upon .a-pnedeternrined .position oit the governor .-66 to .bridge .a 'pair of contacts 70 .and .71.

f 'The contact 720 is connected Vby a. wire T12-.to

one side of a source od. electricity which is shownasabattery 7f3.

r:Phe contact l71 is connected by `a wire 7 4 to an electrical conductive itrackf? 5 mounted v.on the standard 12. A brush .76 unouirtcd on .the :hub 17 4is aclaptedto yContact' with rthe .track 75 and has a wire 7.7 connected thereto from which lead wires .78 connect with one tive traclk'821mountedon the standaard 12 and Vthe .track 82 is connected by .a wire 83 to the opposite yside .of the battery 73.

r'Ilhusit Awill .he Vseen that when Ithe speed .of :the 'devicereadhes a predetermined point i the contact bar 69 of the device 65 :bridge the contacts 7:0 and 7'1 cau-se the current from fthe battery to operate `the solenoids 40 which will -move the rods 36 towards y.the .center of the'device. As the rods 36 movethusly they will 'rock the bell cran-ks 43 which 1in iturn will, 'through the medium of `the rods 48,

rock the bell cranks 46 and move the rods 37 toward the center of the device. As the rods 36 and 37 move towards the center they will swing the stops 33 out of engagement with the blades 31 whereupon the blades are free to swing on their pivots in a complete circle and will at all positions 'present their pivoted edges to the wind as shown in Fig. 3.

For operating the solenoids 41 to reset the stops 33 I provide a pivoted switch bar 84 connected by a wire 85 to the wire 7 2. This switch :har 84de adapted to -engagefafcontact 86 which is lconnected bya .wire .87 vto an electrical conductive track 88 on the standard 12 and a brush 89 on the hub 17 is adapted to engafge'thetrack 88'. A'wire 90 is connected to vthe brush .8.9 andlead wires 91 connect one side Vof each of the solenoids 41 to the wireBQ.

Whenit is desired 'to reset the stops 33 the switchihar 84 ,is moved tofengage :the contact 86, thereby causing current f'to tlow romfthe battery 73itothe1solenoids 41 which vwaillufnove the rods `36 .outward and reset tfhe stops 33.

For 11e-leasing` `thestops 33 by manual ioperaticn i provide -.a contact 92 which viscon.- nected fby ra. wire .'93 ,to the wire 74 and is Yacl'apted to Joe engaged by the switch 4@bar 84. When 'the switch vbar 8:4 engages .the contact .92 the current willbe directed [to the .solenoids iin'thesarne manneras previously described.

My invention as shown and :described is adapted for producing -.a great :amountof power `and is :preferably made very large fin size, but of course it 4will be arnderstoodthat the device may be made on a smaller scale -to produce Iless power. Alsoeallthcughl have :shown 4and .described my invention .as .adapted to furnish power to driveelectricfgenerators, it will be understood that ,the power 1developed .may 'be .utilized for any1-desired purpose.

From the foregoing description it aviall he apparent ithaft I have `provided an `improved wind power :device which is simple construction .and `is highly 4eflieientin ilse.

Having thus described .my inventiam, I claim f Y y 1. In a wind power device, a pair-of rotatable members, `a plurali-'ty of varies mount-- ed @between said members, each ofsai'd varies being pivoted adjacent its outer top edge Ain said members, va stop adjacent the top :and bottom -o each o saidV varies, .la .solenoid fas- Isociated with each vane, .a .source .of .electric-v |ift ,a core for said solenoidfa governor, means to drivesaid governor l:from ysaid kwind power device, an electric switch connectedwith -said Asource of power and said :solenoid of .each vane, said governor being adapted yupon a predetermined speed iof said device to close Isaid switch to :actuate said solenoid orf :each vane and means whereby `said solenoids upon actuation move said stop fto 'release position. I s l2.I\n"a#wind powerdevica a support, a

frame having a plurality of vanes mounted thereon to rotate about a vertical axis on said support, control means normally arranged to prevent rotation of the vanes in one direction, a governor, means to drive said governor on rotation of said frame, and means including solenoids actuated by said governor for controllin said control means. In testimony whereo I hereunto aix my w signature.

CHARLES H. SPENCER. 

